Dude.
This is my Local Guide of Things to do Los Angeles.
Not Anaheim. Not the Valley. Not O.C.
But the City of Los Angeles. And that means Venice Beach, Santa Monica, West L.A., Westwood, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Culver City, Koreatown, and Mid-Wilshire.
Those are my hoods.
Before COVID-19, 9/11 and Rodney King. I was here.
Jump down to the Insider's Guide to LA if you don't want the free walking tour MP3s or the low down on what to avoid.
Contents
Los Angeles Post Lockdown
So after the lockdown, if you're considering visiting L.A., you've come the right place.
I'm a native, born and raised and I love sharing what I know about this amazing wasteland with lovely little, hidden gems tucked about.
If you want to know whether you can bring food into the LA Zoo, or anything about Beverly Hills, Sant Monica, or Hollywood, this Los Angeles Visitor's guide is for you.
This is a Local Guide to Los Angeles. These are the places and hideouts that cater to true Angelenos.
Los Angeles Walking Tours
I recorded these narrated walking tours if you want insider info as you explore.
Listen to my walking tours on what to see in L.A. when you visit. I did a couple of interviews with my friend Chris Christensen for his Amateur Traveler podcast all about Los Angeles.
After decades of sharing my knowledge of L.A. with friends and friends of friends in search of my city's best, the one-to-many power of the web allows me to share the best of Los Angeles with whoever's interested online.
Los Angeles City Audio Guide One (Days 1 & 2)
Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Westwood, Century City, and Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, California.
Los Angeles Photo Gallery
Venice Beach
Santa Monica
Westwood L.A.
Century City
Beverly Hills
Los Angeles City Audio Guide Two (Days 3 & 4)
Hollywood and Downtown in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles Photo Gallery
Hollywood
Central Los Angeles
Visiting Los Angeles
You can use this Los Angeles Guide to learn more about the city, and discover local hot spots from an L.A. native.
I grew up in Los Angeles, and have lived there most of my life. Los Angeles gets a bad rap from a lot of people. Here's my theory why.
L.A. is a very big, vast sprawling place.
When I say L.A., I'm not referring to Los Angeles County. I'm referring to the City of Los Angeles, which is big, but not nearly as big as L.A. county.
The city does not include Anaheim, where Disneyland is or Burbank, where Universal Studios is. They're both fun place and I love them. But they're not in L.A., so they're not included in my itineraries.
Royce Hall, located at UCLA in Westwood, showcases the arts in Southern California, and is easily accessible via transportation options provided by the Metro, highlighting the intersection of sports, geography, universities, and entertainment in Los Angeles County.
Grab a french dip at Philippe in downtown LA before a Dodgers game.
Los Angeles is incredibly spread out, so ints not the type of city where you're likely to stumble onto a great restaurant or a cool night spot.
You need to know where you're going, you need a reservation, and may need to be "on the list."
Traffic in Los Angeles during rush hour is grueling. There's no public transportation worth a damn and relying on cabs is prohibitively expensive. You're going to need car. And most importantly, you're going to need to plan out your days to avoid getting stuck in gridlock.
These lists include many of my personal favorite places, restaurants, and points of interest in Los Angeles.
I've organized special events for clients at some of these venues, but they're also the places I go when we want to have a little fun.
L.A. Local's Guide
Since a got married and became a dad, I don't get out as much at night anymore, so the Night Spots may be a little out of date. The best advice I have for you though as at this first link below:
Things to do in Los Angeles - Maps with suggested spots to visit in Los Angeles, as featured in the Amateur Traveler Podcast.
Musso & Franks on Hollywood Blvd. was featured in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino. Is was established in 1919.
Best Restaurants - Where are the best places to eat in Los Angeles? You won't find these in any guide book.
Best Dive Restaurants - Where are the best dives to eat at in Los Angeles? These are absolutely, unequivocally the best.
Best Golf - Which are the best public golf courses in Los Angeles? Click here to find out where to go for 18 holes in Los Angeles.
Night Spots - Where are the best places to hang, meet interesting people, and party in Los Angeles? These the best watering holes Los Angeles has to offer.
Best Places to Launch - Want a great special event venue in Los Angeles? If it isn't at the right location, it may not be as successful as you'd like. These are some of our favorite special events venues.
Watts Towers in South Central Los Angeles County are well worth a visit.
People's Guide to Los Angeles *New* - I have also spent a good deal of time in South Central Los Angeles County.
South LA, not far from Compton, is where a number of celebrities came from, including Ice Cube, film director John Singleton and athletes Andre Miller and Baron Davis.
Avila's Mi Ranchito in South Central Los Angeles Couty.
I'm not going to give you a whole section on what to do and see there, but Watts Towers and Ray's BBQ are my favorite points of interest.
Or if you want to try some amazing. homestyle Mexican food stop by Avila's Mi Ranchito, which has a full bar, and try the carnitas and ask for them "El Doralito" which means golden brown.
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